Who recommended 'AGT' to Journeyy? Simon Cowell recalls how he heard about 9-year-old singer
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA: Journeyy, who defies age with his beautiful voice, has joined the group of "cool kids" who are killing it with the judges in Season 19 of 'America's Got Talent'. The crowd was mesmerized by the 9-year-old's emotional depth and beautiful lyrics as he performed an original song on the piano.
Remarkably, Simon Cowell disclosed that he had just heard about Journeyy a few days prior to the performance. How did 'AGT' come to notice this bashful Jersey City youngster, who confessed to having stage nervousness before the performance?
Since a judge must always have an ear to the ground, Simon disclosed that occasionally his friends provide him with the finest advice. LeRoy Clark, his close friend, inserted the bug into his ear this time.
As it happens, brilliant minds collaborate, and the production crew at 'AGT' had previously discovered Journeyy. The rising star claimed to enjoy performing cover songs, and when he recently uploaded his rendition of Hillsong United's 'Oceans' on TikTok, it received a ton of positive feedback and views.
9-year-old singer Journeyy sang original piece for 'AGT' Season 19 audition
Following years of honing his craft as a cover artist, Journeyy decided to take things a step further and perform an original song he created, 'Paradise'.
In a behind-the-scenes interview, he said that flying to Los Angeles for the audition was a first for him.
The 9-year-old was anxious before the audition started, so he accepted a drink of water and a high five from Simon, his "favorite" judge. But as soon as he hit the first note on the piano and began to sing, everything vanished.
'AGT' Season 19 judges praise Journeyy's 'God-given talent'
Simon's friends have excellent taste, and the judges gave the young musician high marks. "I love hearing people write their own material. It’s a glimpse into who you really are. And I really like you," Simon said to Journeyy.
Heidi Klum remarked, "Your parents must be super proud of you." Journeyy's sister and dad were waiting in the wings, wiping away their emotions and nodding in agreement. "I’m proud of you. I hope you’re proud of yourself. Very well done, you have a beautiful voice," she said.
Without hesitation, Sofía Vergara said, "I love you," which made Journeyy grin enormously. "I think this season we have so many cool kids. Super cool kids, you’re one of them," she enthused.
Howie Mandel joked that he was once “nine years old for almost a year," he was really serious about the performance, telling them, "You are amazing."
When Simon says, "Things are gonna happen for you. I can feel it," he says, and because he's essentially correct, we start to wonder whether he has a crystal ball stashed under the judge's table. "You are somebody who has a God-given talent. And it’s rare."
Who is Journeyy in 'AGT' Season 19?
Singer Journeyy Belton, who is nine years old, has a sizable fan base. With 4 million views and 639K likes on a video of him singing 'Oceans', the young artist has 113K followers on TikTok.
Stream 'America's Got Talent' Season 19 airs on Tuesdays on NBC at 8 PM ET.
